08 April 2017

Macdougall Street

This is a photo of the Cartsdyke area of Greenock in 1950. On the right is the Wee Dublin End of Cappielow. The white sheds occupy the site of Wee Dublin, the settlement of Irish navvies who dug out the James Watt Dock. Mackenzie Street runs along the lefthand margin of the sheds. The next street over is Macdougall Street, which runs from the pedestrian overpass on the railway tracks to East Hamilton Street. (If it kept going it would pass through those two large boats amidship.) The little church beside the railway line on Macdougall Street is Crawfurdsburn United Free Church of Scotland, which from 1913 to 1987 was also the home of Masonic Lodge Crawfurdsburn Greenock No. 1121. It's now a parking lot.

Hibs visit Cappielow. Gloom: Morton are three games without a win. They have not beaten Hibs since February 2016, and have not beaten Hibs at Cappielow since 1984.

Out of town scoreboard: Dundee United vs Falkirk. St Mirren have the opportunity to escape tenth place, and even ninth place depending on how the games involving the bottom six clubs play out.

Nine points separate the bottom six in the Championship.

Queen of the South enter today's play eight points out of the promotion playoffs and eight points out of the relegation playoffs. They might avoid both promotion and relegation on the same day again this year, as they did last April 9th.

It's very possible that Morton and Dundee United will have to play each other three times over two weeks in early May.

Midfielder Robbie Crawford, who made ten appearences for Morton in the first half of 2014-15 on loan from Rangers, has signed with Icelandic club FH.

1898-99. On this day in 1899 Morton beat Port Glasgow 4 - 3 in front of 5,000 partisans at Cappielow in the semi-finals of the Renfrewshire Cup. [Hibs draw 4,229 today.]

Notice how well Morton do in the seventh year of the decade. That's this year.

What was Hibernian's record against Gretna?

They met twice in cup competition in 2006-07. Hibs knocked Gretna out of the third round of the League Cup and the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.

They played three times in the 2007-08 Premier League. Hibs took three wins and finshed above the split, while Gretna finished last.

Hibs versus Rangers in the Championship -- who won?

These two clubs played two seasons together in the Championship, 2014-15 and 2015-16. Altogether they met in eight league games, two playoff games, two Challenge Cup games and one Scottish Cup game. Hibs took five leagues wins to Rangers' three. They each won one playoff game, though Rangers earned promotion on goals scored. Rangers won both Challenge Cup meetings. Hibs won the 2015-16 Scottish Cup final against Rangers. Final tally: seven wins Hibs, six wins Rangers.

[Morton 1 - 1 Hibs. Morton goal by Shankland. Dundee United and Falkirk also go 1 - 1, so Morton remain in third place. St Mirren play to a 1 - 1 draw with Dumbarton, and Ayr lose, to St Mirren excape tenth place for the first time since September.]

Livingston can win League One today. [And they do.]

The Highland League title will probably come down to the final weekend. Cove Rangers (75 pts), Buckie Thistle (72), Brora Rangers (72), and Formartine United (67) are still in contention. Matches remaining for each:

Cove Rangers: Turriff, Lossiemouth, Lossiemouth

Buckie Thistle: Deveronvale, Fraserburgh, Formartine, Strathspey

Brora Rangers: Huntly, Wick Academy, Fort William

Formartine United: Rothes, Buckie Thistle, Forres, Wick Academy

I'm predicting a win for the overdog in every case, except for Buckie/Formartine which will be a draw. Therefore the final standings should be Cove Rangers (84), Buckie Thistle (82), Brora Rangers (81) and Formartine (77).